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Voluntarism as Exploitation
If you mention volunteer work to a young person, all the chances are he/she will immediately think of exploitation and unpaid work. That it, indeed, the philosophy underlying volunteering, but in addition to the “exploitation”, the young have a chance to acquire skills and knowledge that are not available in the regular education.
Volunteering in B&H is regulated by the legislation. As such, it does include an obligatory contract which regulates the duties of the volunteer, as well as a proper compensation for the work. However, as in the case with the other legislation, the Law is not complied with. As a result, the volunteering in Bosnia and Herzegovina is rather disorganized, which makes the young think twice about it. We discussed this problem with Dalibor Sikman, animator with the Youth Centre “Svjetionik” from Prijedor.
How developed is volunteering in B&H?
In my opinion, it is both developed well enough and undeveloped. First of all, there is great interest for volunteering with the young people I have met in the numerous centres throughout the country. However, it is not all that positive, having in mind the widespread poverty, which makes the youth disinterested in this type of activity. The people that wish to prove themselves and to work demand to be paid for their efforts, which is not the working principle of volunteering. Therefore, once you set that as your goal in life, volunteering is not exactly the first thing you could think of.
Do the volunteers that work for your organization get any compensation for it?
The essence of volunteering is that it represents work without compensation. However, you can’t have anybody to work for you without any, may it be just symbolic, compensation and pay. We reward our volunteers mainly through picnics, refreshments, friendships... If a greater amount of work is involved on a sizable task, we can consider a concrete monetary compensation. Apart from that, they have a chance to express their creativity. Also, they receive training that can come useful in their future work. We send our volunteers on various seminars and workshops quite often.
In your experience, up to what age are the young people interested in volunteering?
We have mostly high school students, from 15 to 21-22 years of age. That is, of course, the majority of volunteers, but we sometimes have slightly “older” people. However, that is a rarity, having in mind that a lot of young people work, while the rest of them is hunting paid jobs and have no time to work “for nothing.”
What does a volunteer need to know in order to be able to work?
No special skills are required, actually. What is needed is the will, the ethics, the morality and, above all, respect for the goals and the mission of the organization he/she works with. The volunteers get a on the job training anyway.
Does “Svjetionik” organize seminars on volunteer work?
Yes, we did open a public competition for a volunteering course, with the upper age limit set at 27 years. The participants in the course receive training in use of computers, workshops on children rights and non-violent communication, as well as course on administration of projects. In addition, the participants are involved in practical work in our offices. The course started in April, and will last until July. All training is free. For instance, the administration work course charges 250 KM monthly for the regular students, while our participants get the two month training for free. The other courses last three months each.
Are there cases of foreign volunteers in B&H?
There is, of course, but that is organized at a much higher level in the developed countries. The students and other people involved in volunteering there receive references, which could be very useful, which is a good stimulation to get into volunteering in its own right.
Is there a practice of exchange of volunteers for a period of time, organized gathering of volunteers, camps, etc?
That has not taken roots in B&H yet. As far as gatherings are considered, we do cooperate with youth centres from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and such events are organized often. They provide the volunteers with an opportunity to get to know each other, to exchange experiences and knowledge they have acquired.
Is there a possibility, after a certain period of volunteering, to get a regular job in the organization?
Of course there is, provided that the organization has a need for such a position. In fact, I am a good example of that, since I got this position as animator after four years of volunteering. The young people have a chance to acquire certain skills through volunteering that are not available through their formal education. At the same time, those skills are necessary for some jobs. Essentially, the volunteering provides a chance to get the work habits which could secure better chances of finding a regular job.
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